Using kid gloves to teach children about bin Laden

>>> finally tonight, all the images of americans celebrating the death of osama bin laden can be difficult for kids to process when they see them on tv. the kids too young to have known what 9/11 really was or who this man was who's now dead. from roxbury, mass tonight the story from nbc's peter alexander .

>> that's really wrong.

>> reporter: most of us know exactly where we were during the september 11th attacks , but not crystal pujols at orchard garden school near boston. she was just a preschooler.

>> where were you on 9/11?

>> i really don't remember, actually.

>> how old were you?

>> i was 5.

>> reporter: here in the shadow of logan airport where both planes took off that crashed into the twin towers , nick jesuwaldi is teaching his civics classes about that tragic day and the death of osama bin laden , a man that most of his students had never heard of.

>> for some reason or another they just hadn't been taught that over the years. so it was a huge surprise.

>> reporter: in southern california eighth-grade teacher jill bergm echl r's students are coming to understand the recent news too.

>> there are so many people who were killed and injured that had like nothing to do with it.

>> reporter: when current events are themselves history-making and dictate what's taught in history classes, the lesson plan can be challenging. for students there's a complicated mixture of joy and fear.

>> there may be retaliation. it's not over. and that makes you aware of what can happen next.

>> reporter: among their questions, is killing someone ever okay?

>> i think it's good that he's gone and he's out. but i feel sort of guilty for celebrating his death.

>> reporter: and in ora dell, new jersey a community impacted by those attacks 10th-grader samuel is cautiously expressing some relief.

>> justice has been served. finally the killer of thousands has been caught.

>> reporter: as these students search for meaning in this week's events --

>> you still haven't convinced me to be on your side.

>> reporter: -- perhaps the most important lesson is that not every question has a simple answer. peter alexander , nbc news, roxbury, massachusetts.